Evolution
by AntiMusicMan
Summary: A series of evolutions set to music and dance stage directions. Each stage of evolution gets its own chapter. First evolution: Metamorphosis -- Caterpie to Butterfree.
1. I: Egg

**Metamorphosis:  
Introduction**

* * *

_Silence. _Darkness.

Pre-Dawn.

_Strings. A faint pianissimo noise, a lower-middle tone_: anticipation for the sunrise.

A figure, solitary, sedentary, emerges as the light, faint as the whispering music, permeates. Sitting; knees to chest. _Crescendo to pianoforte_. _Strings increase in tempo._ _Building to a … Surge._

_Stop. _

… … … … … … … … … _Surge._

_Stop. _

… … … … … … … … … … … … … … … _Surge._

_Stop._

Figure rising slowly on the surge. Motionless on the stop.

… … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … Rise.

Halt.

… … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … Rise— thighs now parallel to the ground.

Halt.

_One final surge_. One final movement.

Arms rising up and out.

_Final beat. Fortissimo._

Arms outstretched; head still down. _Reverberation._

_Music fades_, light brightens. Head snaps up, gazing forward.

* * *

So, what do you think? I've never tried writing like this. I gotta say it was hard, but fun-- I really felt accomplished finishing the introduction.  
"Pars Primus: Dawn" will be up soon, if all goes well. I hope you enjoyed it.


	2. I: Caterpie

**Metamorphosis:  
****Pars Primus**

Dawn.

* * *

_Strings with Woodwinds._ _Andante con moto. Lively phasing among piano, pianoforte, and forte._ _Three measures piano, one measure pianoforte. Three measures pianoforte, one measure forte. Three measures pianoforte, one measure piano. Repeat. _

The single figure moves with the music. Lethargic, small movements on the _piano_. Expressive movements on the _pianoforte_. Grandiose, bold leaps and dramatic sharp hits on the _forte_.

Dance clothed in green leotard. Yellow anklets. A small, paler green with yellow and pink sparkles, tutu. One arm covered to fingers. Other stops at shoulder. Three dark green stripes from arm down to chest. Unadorned hair and face.

_Piano_.  
Undulations of the arms.

_Piano_, _second measure.  
_Undulation of hips with arms.

_Piano, third __measure.  
_Undulation of entire body. Wormlike.

_Pianoforte_.  
Stiffens to natural. On point on left. Right leg stiffens on diagonal. Hovering.

_Three __measures pianoforte. Accelerando poco. Woodwinds overpower Strings.  
_Fall onto right. Together. Arms swing gracefully right. Left foot extends. Feet together, torso still bent. _Final beats_. Torso snaps opposite direction: preparation for movement.

_Forte.  
_Leap. Stripes glimmer in morning light. Land. Immediately spin twice, striped arm splayed.

_Three __measures pianoforte._ _Accelerando più. Music becomes more sprightly. Woodwinds lessens. Equal with Strings.  
_Small leap. Dancing on point. Steps pitter-patter. Torso bends left. Right. Rises; stiffens. Sags. _Final eighth-notes. Almost chirping._ Center stage. Half-turn; facing backwards.

_Piano_.  
Striped arm rises. _Largo_. Feet slowly ascend to point. _Larghissimo_.

_Pianoforte_. _Accelerando più.  
_Right foot extend. Bend at knee. Weight bearing; left extended. Hovering. Arms stretched for balance. Hands limp. Striped arm lifted rigid. Fingers pointed to match toes. Place left across right. Plié. Arms bent.

_Forte. Accelerando molto. Woodwinds play andante; lower notes. Strings play vivace; higher notes.  
_Preparation complete. Quick spin: pirouette. Head snaps forward. Arms fully stretched. Feet spread. Resembles a star.

_Pianoforte. Accelerando poco. Woodwinds play adagio; lower yet louder. Strings play andante; mid tones.  
_Legs return to first position. Arms cross over chest. _Beat. Woodwinds._ Head snaps left. Left arm stretches, grasping. Slight bend at the waist left. _Beat. Strings._ Head snaps right. Left arm returns; right extends. Grasping. Slight bend to right.

_Piano. Largo. Woodwinds pianissimo. Strings move to mid-lower notes.  
_Arms return to side. _Quickened beats._ Sudden impulse of a knee. _Accelerando poco. _Return to posture. _Quickened beats. _Sudden jerk of fingers. _Accelerando poco. _Return to posture.

_Final beats. Larghissimo. Woodwinds a whisper; Strings pianoforte.  
_Arms rise. Fingertips touch above head. Bare arm slides down striped. Bare fingers on shoulder. Eyes cast on the single movement. Slowly, to the beats. Fingers slide down. Around side. Hidden in the back. Eyes cast downward.

_Last note resonates.  
_Figure motionless, a slender green. Eyes gaze outward. No movement.

* * *

terms:  
_con moto - _with motion  
_accelerando poco_ - speed up a little  
_accelerando piu_ - speed up more quickly than _poco  
accelerando molto_ - speed up more, considerably  
_larghissimo_ - very slow  
_largo_ - slow  
_andante_ - normal pace  
_adagio_ - quickly  
_vivace_ - with life; quicker than_ adagio  
_plié - knees bent, feet together


	3. I: Metapod

**Metamorphosis:  
Pars Secunda**

Mid-day.

* * *

_Faint rumble of Brass and Woodwinds. Larghissimo._

The figure stands dead center. The hand join together above the head; the sleeves sewn together. The yellow is replaced with a deeper, foresty green; the tutu gone. Hair gelled tightly to head in a wave.

_Accelerando. Adagio. Brass repeats simple melody: two parts low strains followed by one part high, with energy. Woodwinds play music of the woods, with an occasional high-pitched bird chirp._

Figure stands rigid. First position. Arms turned so that the left covers the face, which is turned right.

_Three rounds of the low then high. Woodwinds increase to pianoforte. _  
No movement.

_A single shrill – a bird wheeling in the sky.  
__Silence._

Face turns slowly to the front. Arms descend until the hands rest on the left shoulder. Elbows snap; hit the right side. Knees buckle: plié. Head turns slowly to the left. Elbows return to normal position, perpendicular to the chest. Hands rest atop head. Legs straighten as the upper body bends right. Eyes gazing upwards.

_A single shrill – the bird wheels in the sky.  
__Woodwinds resume playing a soft forest melody. Brass flourish._

Right leg battement tendu; left leg bends. The entire body slides right and begins to droop. Arms fling from head to the left hip. A bounce left. Return. Another, larger, longer, bounce. Feet shuffle; legs together. Hands rise over head and rest on right hip as upper body arches left. Eyes gazing downwards. Left leg battement tendu, mirroring previous.

_Woodwinds soften to piano_. _Brass returns to largo; low euphonic tones._

Bounce. Return. Bounce—longer, slower. Head bounces, eyes becoming parallel to the ground. Final bounce of head and body, returning to rigid first position, hands once again above the head. Eyes peer outward, unfaltering.

Stop. No movement; _no music_.

On point. Elbows more bent, hands resting on head. Right leg rises to piqué.

_Brass resounds. A single, resonating note.  
_Eyes shoot right, to the bent knee as it extends: battement à la seconde.

_Music echoes fade to nothing._ Tendu leg returns to point.

_Brass resounds. A single, but higher, note resonates.  
_Eyes shoot left as that leg rises to piqué.

_Another equitone note._  
Left leg kicks: battement à la seconde. Holds until…

_Music fades.  
_Toe descends to the floor. Right leg inches further right. Both legs move apart. Slowly. Legs so spread, they touch the floor. The splits.

_Woodwinds flourish.  
_And the two hands separate.

* * *

terms:  
piqué - one leg risen so that the pointed toes face into the other leg's thigh. Creates a "triangle" like shape.  
battement tendu - leg "kicked" out; fully extended but still touching the ground  
battement à la seconde- a full kick out to the side  
tendu - "stretched"


End file.
